Art Impact International​2016

Khalid Thompson

Born and raised in Richmond, VA Khalid Thompson discovered a passion for poetry during creative writing classes in High School. Post-graduation, he sought to challenge his solitary nature via performance outlets such as acting and acoustic guitar. However, there persisted a deep desire within him to find an artistic path more suited to his inherent personality. In the spring of 2006 he decided to move to Washington, DC to gain inspirations from aculturally diverse, international city.

After a serendipitous meeting with a charismatic visual artist from the Ivory Coast, Khalid began to reinvestigate a childhood love of drawing. The steady encouragement of this new friend coupled with a renewed sense of self lead Khalid to explore his own abstract style of ar. The creative freedom of improvisational painting became a perfect fit. Since 2008 he has completely devoted himself to painting and drawing.

The purpose of my work is to fill the audience with a sense of order and chaos. By allowing the power of the moment to fully express itself, I let the forces of nature direct my process with hopes of transmitting these emotions to the viewer. Being"African-American" has afforded me the opportunity to fuse African and European expressions with a unique energy, richness, force, and complexity that is emblematic of being an African American abstract painter in the twenty-first century. - K. Thompson